


The Literal Bear Hug

by almaasi



Category: Supernatural
Genre: (sort of), Animal Transformation, Bear Castiel, Bears, Castiel Needs a Hug, Cuddling & Snuggling, Dean Needs A Hug, First Kiss, Fluff, Hugs, M/M, Sam Knows, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-01
Updated: 2014-08-01
Packaged: 2018-02-11 07:05:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2058603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/almaasi/pseuds/almaasi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Suddenly, Cas was a bear. This was not supposed to happen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Literal Bear Hug

**Author's Note:**

> Beta'd by thewonderofliving ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ

Suddenly, Cas was a bear. This was not supposed to happen.

“Next time, Cas,” Dean said, marching into the library of the Batcave with an eight-foot brown bear trailing behind him, “don’t drink anything unless you know what it is.”

“Rawwhhhh,” Cas complained. The sound shook the floor, and Dean eyed the marble pillars dubiously, wondering if they might collapse. The roar faded away, and the building foundations remained secure.

Dean sighed and turned around, meeting Cas’ droopy blue eyes. Cas stood there on his four paws, waiting, his characteristic patience still as notable as before. Except he took up far too much space like this, and he looked like an oversized afghan throw.

“So what are you meant to eat, now you’re Winnie-the-Pooh?” Dean asked the bear, sticking his hands on his hips. “Honey?”

“Wikipedia says fish,” Sam said, entering the library with his duffel bag slung over his shoulder. His eyes were on his phone, and he scrolled the webpage with his thumb. “Brown bears are omnivores. Mostly they eat plants, but they’re partial to salmon.”

Castiel sat back on his ass, somehow still taller than Dean. “Wrarh,” he said, showing a flash of his dog-like teeth.

Dean sneered uncomfortably. “Whatever. I’ll go to the store later.”

He felt weird about this whole thing. Seeing Cas look so different, yet somehow _exactly the same_ was unnerving as hell. Even as a human, the guy could probably take out an army with a few swipes of a hand – but despite his abrupt change of species, he continued to present himself with an innocent, adorable exterior. Dean didn’t want to dwell on it too much, but he recognised an awareness deep down: Cas was still _cute_.

“You can sleep here,” Dean said with a smile, finally getting a spare mattress in place between two sets of bookshelves. “Sam’s bringing pillows.”

“Mwaawh,” Castiel said softly.

Dean reached over and patted Castiel’s head, ruffling his fur. He’d gotten used to the beariness over the day, and now, he was admittedly kind of okay with it. He smirked at his friend, hearing him give another yowling complaint, the vibration of which rumbled up Dean’s legs through the soles of his slippers.

“You know I don’t understand bear talk, right?”

Castiel lowered his head morosely, nodding. “Mhhh.” He’d learned to keep his voice down, and the long drag of sound came out breathy when he whispered. Dean didn’t think many humans had ever heard a bear whisper. He counted himself lucky his eardrums were still intact after all the roaring.

Dean moved closer to grasp one of Cas’ fluffy ears. It was soft and round and warm, and as he grazed his thumb along its edge, Castiel looked up with a heartfelt shimmer in his eyes.

“Don’t give me that look, it’s not my fault you’re stuck like this.” Dean parted his fingers through Castiel’s thick hair, feeling the wideness of his skull, and the soft layer of bear-fat under his fur.

Castiel moaned and sat down on his mattress, lifting his shaggy arms. He had fearsome claws, and gigantic paws which reached for Dean and patted at his side.

Dean looked down in confusion. “What? What do you want?” Castiel was pawing at his pyjama t-shirt, tugging at the back of his hip. Dean looked into Cas’ eyes, and saw pleading. He was such a sad bear.

Dean swallowed. “Do— Do you want a hug?”

Castiel nodded, nearly pouting.

Dean couldn’t help but chuckle as he stepped closer, pushing his waist against Castiel’s fuzzy belly. Castiel’s huge arms surrounded Dean’s back, and Dean gasped at the warmth of him, the _strength_ of him, and his gentleness. Dean vision was enveloped by fur as thick as a rug, dark like Cas’ hair usually was. Cas still smelled like Cas. Where Dean’s cheek rested on what he assumed was Castiel’s shoulder, he could feel the heavy heartbeat of his best friend, the beast.

“Wow,” Dean whispered, fingers curling gently in soft fur. His own heart was racing, either due to exhilaration or... the other thing, the one with feelings. “We’re totally giving a new meaning to ‘bear hug’, huh.”

Castiel rumbled, and it sounded like a laugh. Dean felt Cas’ pudgy cheek nuzzling at his back, and he squirmed, laughing, until Castiel let him go.

Dean straightened up, biting his lip as he gazed at Cas. The bear was still radiating misery like he’d been dipped in it. Obviously he was having a really, really bad day.

“I’m sorry about the bear thing,” Dean said gently, putting his hand against the side of Castiel’s snout, thumbing the shorter hair there. “It should wear off in a day or so. Hold on until then, okay?”

Castiel grumbled deeply, turning his face so his nose bumped into the centre of Dean’s palm. Dean snickered and pulled away, alarmed by the cool leathery feel of Cas’ nose and the tickle of his breath.

“Got pillows!” Sam called.

Dean stepped further away from Cas. “Just dump ‘em on the bed, I’ll arrange them.”

“Heh. You’re making his bed up for him?”

Dean glared at his brother. “He’s a _bear_. I don’t think they’re that dextrous.”

“Really,” Sam snorted, catching Castiel’s eye and holding it. “I seem to recall a certain bear managing to brush his teeth just fine.”

Dean’s eyebrows shot up. “You brushed your teeth?”

Castiel gave a quiet roar which sounded much like ‘ _Of course I did._ ’

Shaking his head and re-suspending his disbelief, Dean went about arranging the pillows in a comfortable-looking circle around where Cas currently sat.

“I’ll, uh, leave you to it,” Sam said, and Dean grunted at him. “Goodnight.”

“‘Night, Sammy,” Dean replied.

“Wraghhh,” Castiel added.

Sam chuckled and turned to leave the library. Dean made sure he was gone before he relaxed, letting out a huge sigh.

Cas tilted his head curiously.

Dean harrumphed, stomping on the mattress to make a spring go back inside. “It’s nothing,” he said. “Sometimes it just feels like he wouldn’t... I don’t know. Wouldn’t _get_ it.”

“Rawhh?” _Get what?_

Dean shrugged, his slippered feet shuffling to the front of the mattress, arms folded around his middle. Castiel was still waiting for an answer. “You and me,” Dean said eventually. “Hugs. Bear hugs. Teddy-bear hugs. That sorta stuff. It’s too difficult when he’s still in the room.”

Castiel blinked thoughtfully. Then he raised his paws again, nudged them up against Dean’s lower back, and tugged. Dean tried not to smile, but then burst out laughing and let Cas pull him into a warm, cuddly embrace.

Castiel groaned lowly as Dean became bundled up in fluff, curled against Castiel’s stomach. Cas nuzzled at his cheek, and Dean only half-heartedly pulled away.

Dean sighed and relaxed when Castiel cocooned him with his own body, building a bear house over him. Dean wondered why they’d never done this before. Easy affection like this was precisely what he needed, and if the light-hearted sigh Castiel released was any indication, a bear hug or two was good for him, as well.

Dean rested his head on something fluffy; he didn’t know which bear limb it was. Cas’s breath was humid on his neck, and incredibly warm.

“Quit breathing on me,” Dean mumbled.

“Mrr.” Another sigh.

Dean lifted his head, and Castiel sat up a bit straighter so they could look at each other. Cas still had a twinkle of sadness in his eyes.

Dean smiled. “What’s up, Cas?”

Castiel closed his eyes and lowered his head, swaying slightly. Dean supposed the poor guy wouldn’t even bother trying to explain, given that he’d lost the power of vocal articulation. Dean felt sorry for him. He couldn’t imagine how distressing this situation must be, having gone from angel to human to bear. It wasn’t exactly an ideal series of transmigrations.

In a fit of sympathy, Dean leaned in close, stood on his tiptoes, and put a little kiss on Castiel’s leathery nose. Castiel’s eyes opened at once, and Dean’s lips parted as he prepared to defend his right to show affection, but then Castiel lunged forward and began bumping his snout on Dean’s cheeks and chin and nose and forehead, again and again and again – Dean tried to wriggle away but Cas was _holding_ him—

And then Dean realised: Cas was smothering him with kisses. That was what the nose-pokes were about. Cas had his eyes closed and happily returned Dean’s kiss two dozen times over.

Dean chuckled, not caring to admit to himself that he was blushing. “Okay, okay, enough,” he laughed, shoving a hand into Cas’ face. Cas shyly moved his head away.

Dean raised his arm and scrubbed his face free of whisker tickles, still feeling the under-skin aftershocks of bearish smooches. He grinned to himself as he took a breath, slowly lifting his eyes to meet Castiel’s.

Castiel’s eyes gleamed bright blue as he blinked slowly. He was a very happy bear.

Dean licked his lips and took a careful step forward, pushing himself up to Castiel’s front. Cas gave a low sound of delight, wrapped Dean up in his furry arms, and rolled them both over together.

“Oh,” Dean said, as he found himself lying against Castiel’s belly. He was being spooned by a goddamn bear. He blinked a few times, wondering if the funny sparkly feelings in his whole body meant it was a good idea to stay where he was, rather than traipse away to his cold, empty, bear-less bedroom.

“Grmph,” Castiel said, giving Dean a small squeeze.

“All right,” Dean muttered, half to himself. He yawned. “Just this once.”

He smiled, feeling Castiel press another bear kiss to the top of his head.

Sam wandered into the library at ten in the morning, combing his hands back through his bed-mussed hair.

He had been surprised to discover no mess had been made in the kitchen at all, and none of the fresh fish they’d bought had been touched since last night. It seemed strange nobody had attempted to make breakfast yet.

He came to the section of the library where the mattress had been set up. Now it all made sense. Dean and Cas had overslept.

Dean looked rather ruffled, still deep in slumber. His pyjama t-shirt lapped up against his stomach, exposing his midriff. Castiel’s hand – his human hand – rested on Dean’s skin, and his naked body curved around Dean, keeping close for warmth. They looked comfortable, surrounded by pillows.

Sam smiled. He went and got a blanket, then returned to the library. He draped it over his brother and their beloved friend, then stood there for a while longer, admiring the tenderness in Castiel’s movement as he pulled Dean closer in his sleep. Even as a beast he’d been gentle.

“You’re _both_ just a couple of huggy bears,” Sam said under his breath, shaking his head as he wandered away to get breakfast.

He grinned, deciding Dean and Cas would appreciate some bear-shaped pancakes in celebration of their newfound bed-sharing option. Nobody could dispute that the breakfast treat would be savoured, since every meal for the next few weeks was going to be fish, fish, and fish.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't even know, man. I woke up today and Cas was a sad bear. So I gave him a hug the only way I know how. (P.S. If you leave kudos, it increases the hug power. Proven science!)


End file.
